HCM CITY — A drama featuring southern people and their lifestyle will make its debut in HCM City after winning the top prize at the 2018 National Drama Festival.

The 90-minute show, Hiu Hiu Gió Bấc (Winter Winds), features southern farmers living in a small village in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta region.

It highlights poor women, their challenges, dreams and hopes about life and love. 

The work was adapted from the short story of the same name by Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, one of the very few best-selling female authors of the south.

Hiu Hiu Gió Bấc is directed by young talent Lê Đăng Khoa of HCM City University of Theatre and Cinematography.

It stars young actors Công Danh, Thanh Phượng and Thùy Trang in leading roles.  

Khoa won the Best Young Director award at the 2018 National Drama Festival from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Performing Arts in HCM City in April.

It attracted more than 500 guests at the Quân Đội (Army) Theatre in Tân Bình District, which hosted the drama festival.

The festival  attracted 27 plays in various categories, produced by State-owned and private theatres nationwide

Director Khoa and his producer spent a lot on costumes and sound and light effects.

Meritorious Artist Đàm Loan and Vietnamese-American comedian Hoài Linh were invited to play supporting roles.  

"I want to draw young audiences back to the theatre from cinemas and live concerts. My staff and I promise a great spectacle of music and images on stage,” said Khoa in an interview with local media at the drama festival.  

"I believe traditional theatre will attract younger audiences if it provides a new and modern style," he added.     

A graduate of the city’s University of Theatre and Cinematography in 2004, Khoa joined his school’s theatre as a director.

“Our theatre is a place for young actors to improve their skills at school. We offer tickets at only VNĐ20,000 (nearly US$1) each to keep our art alive and attract young audiences,” said Khoa, adding that he had turned down contracts from TV producers to develop his theatre.    

Hiu Hiu Gió Bấc will be staged at 8pm on June 9 and 10 at the Trần Hữu Trang Theatre, 136 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, in District 1. Tickets are available at the box office. — VNS